Twenty-four hour alarm



June 30, 1970 R. A. KEANE, JR., ET AL 3,517,499

TWENTY-FOUR noun ALARM Filed Nov. 17, 1967 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 mouvkmugh RALPH 'C. Roamsou 6 .41444 MMMJ, 14,14 (9M ATTYS luveu'roas June 30, 1970 R. A. KEANE, JR, E L 7,

TWENTY-FOUR HOUR ALARM I Filed Nov. 17, 1967 s Sh'ets-Sheet 2 49 INV'ENTORS Rmno'ao Alana-,3 l6 mruqkoamson 6 1164, MM; wnwm A'r'rvs.

June30, 1970 K JR ET AL TWENTY-FOUR HOUR ALARM 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Nov. i7, 1967 FIG.5 FG A I 7! I F|6.6A

| I ll.

' INVENTORS RAvnoym A.KEANE,JR. RALPH C. Rosmspu v A'nvs.

Patent Office 3,517,499 Patented June 30, 1970 3,517,499 TWENTY-FOUR HOUR ALARM Raymond A. Keane, Jr., and Ralph C. Robinson, Athens, Ga., assignors to General Time Corporation, Stamford, Conn., a corporation of Delaware Filed Nov. 17, 1967, Ser. No. 683,854

, Int. Cl. G04b 23/08 U.S. Cl. 58--17 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A mechanism that converts a conventional alarm clock into one whose alarm will sound every 24 hours at the time selected on a 12-hour clock face. The mechanism includes a latch for holding the alarm disabled through one 12-hour cycle. A latch release member enables the 24-hour alarm feature to be disabled at any time.

DESCRIPTION 'OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to alarm clocks and more particularly concerns a 12-hour clock With a 24-hour alarm capability.

A conventional 12-hour clock makes two full cycles per day. If the alarm is left in set or on position, it will therefore sound in the afternoon as well as in the morning. This normally requires the alarm user to turn the alarm off in the morning and then on again at night, assuming that the alarm is being used in the morning.

Twenty-four hour alarms, i.e., ones which cycle once a day and hence need no attention at night to turn them on for the following morning, have usually been as sociated with clocks having 24-hour dials which do not have great appeal to the average user.

Accordingly, it is the aim of this invention to provide a conventional 12-hour alarm clock with a 24-hour alarm feature. Acollateral object is to provide a mechanism for the above purpose which is simple to operate and reliable in operation.

Another object is to provide a mechanism of the above character which can be overridden by a conventional alarm clock control so as to give normal 12-hour alarm clock functioning.

A further object is to provide a mechanism as characterized above which is economical to manufacture, using conventional clock-making techniques.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description and upon reference to the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation of a clock embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary perspective of the mechanism embodied in the clock of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is similar to FIG. 2 with additional parts removed;

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective of a portion of the mechanism seen in FIG. 2 as seen from the opposite quarter;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary elevation of a portion of the mechanism appearing in FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is similar to FIG. 5 showing the parts in a different operating position;

FIG. 6A is a fragmentary elevation showing two of the parts in FIG. 6 as seen along the line AA in FIG. 6; and

FIGS. 7, 8, 9 and 10 are similar to FIGS. 5 and 6 and show the parts in three other operating positions.

While the invention will be described in connection with a preferred embodiment, it will be understood that we do not intend to limit the invention to that embodiment. On the contrary, we intend to cover all alternatives,

modifications and equivalents as may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention.

Turning first to FIG. 1, there is shown a clock 10 embodying the invention and including a housing 11, a conventional 12-hour dial 12, a stack of hands including hour, minute and second hands 13, 14 and 15 respectively, and a 24-hour alarm activating and signalling button 16. Within the housing 11, the clock 10 includes a conventional frame formed by front and rear frame plates 17 and 18, respectively (see FIG. 2), held in fixed spaced relationship by a plurality of posts 19. The rear frame plate 18 supports a synchronous motor 21 connected to the hands 13-15 by the usual timing train.

The clock includes an alarm of the audible type formed by a vibrator 22 mounted cantilever fashion in the magnetic field of the motor 21. An alarm operator 23 is pivotally held in a slot formed in the side of the rear frame plate 18 by an arm 24 of a spring fixed to the frame. The operator 23 includes a nose 25 which, when held against the vibrator 22, silences the alarm. When the operator 23 swings clockwise as seen in FIG. 2, the vibrator 22 is freed and the alarm sounds. The spring arm 24 biases the operator 23 so that the nose 25 is urged away from the vibrator 22.

Conventional control of the alarm is provided by an alarm control slide 27 and a pair of gears, an alarm setting gear 28 and an alarm trip gear 29. The slide 27 projects from the rear of the clock housing 11 and is slidably mounted in the rear frame plate 18 and in a tap 31 on the motor 21. The operator 23 is fitted in a longitudinal slot 32 in the slide 27.

Pushing the control slide 27 inwardly to an alarm off position, to the left in FIGS. 2 and 3, causes the end of the slot 32 to cam the operator 23 counterclockwise so that the nose 25 engages and silences the alarm vibrator 22. Pulling the slide 27 back to an alarm on position, that illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, passes control of the operator 23 to other mechanisms. Preferably, a pair of notches 33 in the slide 27 act, with a spring arm 34, as detents to define the alarm on and alarm 01f positions of the slide 27.

The alarm trip gear 29 is formed with a peripheral slot 36 and is driven counterclockwise, as seen in the drawings, by the clock timing train at the same rate as the hour wheel, i.e., one revolution per 12 hours. The alarm setting gear 28 carries a cam 37 and is adapted to be manually rotated by a setting knob, not shown. The setting gear 28 is coupled with an alarm indicator hand 38 so that the slot 36 in the trip gear 29 will drop over the cam 37 at the time indicated by the hand 38.

The trip gear 29 engages a finger 39 on the operator 23 and serves as an alarm timing element which shifts once every 12 hours from active position, in which the gear 29 rests on the tip of the cam 37 and the finger 39 pushes the operator 23 to silence the alarm, to an inactive position, in which the slot 36 drops over the cam 37 so that the spring arm 24 can move the operator 23 clockwise, and the gear 29 axially, to free the vibrator 22 and sound the alarm.

So far, those skilled in this art Will recognize the structures described as conventional, and operation and function will be readily apparent.

In accordance with the invention, the clock 10 includes an alarm disabling member 40 for silencing the alarm vibrator 22, and a latch lever 41 for holding the disabling member 40 in an alarm off position through a complete cycle of the alarm trip gear 29. Thus, the trip gear must cycle twice, requiring a 24-hour period, before the alarm again sounds.

The alarm disabling member is slidably mounted in grooves 42 on a plurality of studs 43 secured to the front frame plate 17. A spring 44 anchored on one of the studs 43 (see FIG. 4) biases the member upwardly to an alarm enabling position. Movement of the member 40 downwardly to an alarm off position causes a cam edge on the member to engage a finger 46 on the operator 23 so as to swing the operator counterclockwise, in FIGS. 3 and 4, to the alarm off position. Preferably, the button 16 is secured directly tothe member 40' by being mounted on a tab 47. Thus, pressing the button 16 downwardly relative to the clock housing -11 moves the alarm disabling member 40 to alarm ofif position. With the member in alarm enabling position, the button 16 projects upwardly from the clock housing 11 (see FIG. I) and gives a visual indication to the user that the alarm is under conventional control.

The latch lever 41 is pivoted in slots 48 and 49 in the frame plates 17, 18 and supports a latch pawl 50'. The lever 41 is formed with a finger 52, and the lever 41 is biased by a spring arm '53 so that the finger 52 bears against the trip gear 29. The lever 41 is therefore rocked as the trip gear 29 shifts between active and inactive positions.

The lever 41 and the pawl 50 are formed with inwardly facing teeth 54 and 55, respectively, and a spring arm 56 urges the pawl 50 against a pin 57 on the lever 41 so that the teeth 54, are biased toward one another. Mounted on the alarm disabling member 40* is a tooth block 60 formed with a plurality of spaced, outwardly facing teeth 61, 62 and 63 (see FIGS. 2 and 4). The teeth 61, 63 face the tooth 54 on the lever 41, and the third tooth 62 faces the tooth 55 on the pawl 50. The teeth engage when the member 40 is moved to alarm off position so as to hold the member in that position, and the tooth arrangement is such that successive teeth are engaged as the lever 41 is rocked by movement of the trip gear 29 from inactive to active, and back to inactive position.

This stepping of the teeth can be seen in FIGS. 6-9. In FIGS. 6 and 6A, the member 40 has been pushed down to alarm off position causing the cam edge 45 to engage the operator 23 and silence the alarm, and the lever tooth 54 engages and locks with the tooth 61 on the tooth block 60. The alarm trip gear is then in inactive position with the slot 36 fitted over the cam 37. When the gear 29 rotates to active position, FIG. 7, the lever 41 is pushed to the right in that figure so that the tooth 54 clears the tooth block 60, but the pawl tooth 55 engages and locks with the tooth 62 of the tooth block before the teeth 54, 61 release. When next the trip gear 29 falls from the cam 37 to inactive position, FIG. 8, the biased lever 41 moves to the left clearing the pawl tooth 55 from the block 60, but the lever tooth 54 engages the block tooth 63 before the teeth 55, '62 separate. Upon the trip gear again moving toactive position, FIG. 9, all teeth are disengaged and the member 40 is freed to return under the bias of the spring arm 44 to the alarm enabling position.

As a feature of the invention, a latch release member 65 is operated by the control slide 27 to disengage the teeth and prevent the member 40 from being held in the alarm off position. In the illustrated arrangement, the release member 65 is slidably mounted adjacent the alarm disabling member 40 in grooves 66 on the studs 43. The release member 65 is biased upwardly by a spring arm 67. A cam edge 68 on the slide 27 cooperates with a ledge 69 on the member 65 to move the member in opposition to its bias as the slide 27 is pushed inwardly. A finger 70 on the release member 65 overlies cam edges 71 and 72 on the lever 41 and pawl 50, respectively, so that, when the slide 27 is moved in to the alarm off position, the release member 65 is cammed downwardly and the finger 70 engages the cam edges 71, 72 to swing the teeth 54, 55 clear of the block 60. This releases the alarm disabling member 40 regardless of which teeth were previously engaged.

As another feature of the invention, the tooth block 60 includes a fourth tooth 75 which cooperates with the pawl tooth 55 and permits depressing the button 16 to prevent sounding of the alarm should the user awake early. During the last twelve hours of the 24-hour cycle, the button 16 is elevated from the housing 11 (see FIGS. 1 and 9) to indicate that the alarm disabling member 40 is in alarm enabling position and that the alarm will sound under the control of the gears 28, 29 at the set time. If it is desired to prevent the alarm from sounding, and yet insure that the alarm will sound at the set time twenty-four hours later, the raised button 16 is depressed bringing the block tooth 75 into locking engagement under the pawl tooth 55. This latches the member 40' in alarm off position. When the trip gear 29 moves to inactive position at the alarm set time (see FIG. 6), the teeth 55, 75 separate but not before the teeth 54, 61 engage and the parts assume their FIG. 6 positions in readiness for the next 24-hour cycle.

Operation of the clock can now be readily seen. Conventional control of the alarm vibrator 22 is obtained through positioning of the setting gear 28 and manual in and out movement of the control slide 27. Pulling the slide 27 rearwardly from the housing 11 sets the alarm for operation. When the slot 36 slips over the cam 37, the alarm trip gear 29 moves so that the alarm operator 23 swings clear of the vibrator 22 and the alarm sounds. To silence the alarm, the user pushes the slide 27 inwardly so that the end of the slot 32 cams the operator 23 back against the vibrator 22. Inward movement of the slide 27 to the alarm off position also causes the cam edge 68 to engage the ledge 69 so that the release member 65 is moved downwardly to insure release of the alarm disabling member 40. The next time the alarm is to be used, the slide 27 is pulled back out to alarm on position, and when the trip gear slot 36 next falls over the cam 37 the alarm again sounds.

To use the 24-hour alarm feature, the slide 27 is left out in alarm on position. When the alarm sounds, the user presses down on the button 16, moving the parts to their FIG. 6- positions with the alarm disabling member 40 engaging the operator 23 so as to silence the alarm, and the teeth 54, 61 holding the member 40 down in alarm off position. Since the latch lever 41 moves with the trip gear 29 when the alarm is sounded, the teeth 55 and 75 pass idly when the button 16 is depressed. Engagement of the successive teeth holds the member 40 down in alarm oif position as the trip gear 29 rotates back to active position (FIG. 7), and drops olf to inactive position twelve hours later (FIG. 8). When the trip gear next moves to active position for the second time (FIG. 9), the alarm disabling member 40 is released for movement upwardly to the alarm enabling position wherein the operator 23 is held in alarm off position solely by the trip gear 29. This condition of the parts is indicated by the appearance of the button 16 from the top of the clock housing 11. The user then knows that the alarm will sound within the next 12-hour period. When the trip gear slot 36 next falls over the cam 37, the alarm operator 23 will swing clear of the vibrator 22 sounding the alarm. The alarm is silenced and the next 24-hour cycle initiated by again pressing down on the button 16.

If, after the button 16 appears (FIG. 9), the user does not Want the alarm to sound at the set time, the button is depressed and the alarm disabling member is held down in alarm off position by engagement of the teeth 55, 75 (FIG. 10). At the set time, the trip gear 29 shifts, the teeth 54, 61 engage to hold the member 40, and the parts are back in their FIG. 6- positions starting another 24-hour cycle without sounding the alarm.

At any time, movement of the slide 27 inwardly to alarm off position re-establishes conventional control of the alarm.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the mechanism described above is economical to manufacture since it utilizes parts formed and mounted in ways conventional to the clock making art. The positive engagement of the interacting parts makes the unit easy to assemble and reliable in operation.

We claim as our invention:

1. In a clock, the combination comprising a frame, an alarm device, a driving train including an hour wheel, an alarm set wheel, the wheels having cooperating cam surfaces for producing relative axial movement at a preset time, an alarm operator associated with said alarm device for silencing the alarm and responsive to the relative movement of the wheels for sounding the alarm, an alarm disabling member having a horizontal tooth bar portion with a toothed projection on the end thereof, the latter having mutually outwardly facing teeth, said disabling member being slideably mounted on the frame for movement between an alarm off position in which said operator is engaged for disabling the alarm device and an alarm enabling position in which the member frees the operator, means biasing said disabling member toward said alarm enabling position, a vertically positioned lever pivotally mounted at one end on said frame and positioned to be rocked by the relative axial shifting of the wheels, said lever having a first tooth on its free end, a pawl pivoted on the lever having a tooth facing inwardly toward the first tooth and biased toward it, the teeth on the lever straddling the outwardly facing teeth on the bar so that the rocking movement of the lever upon cycling of the cam surfaces causes the teeth on the lever to act as an escapement permitting movement of the tooth bar upwardly to an intermediate position during the first cam cycle and permitting final movement of the bar upwardly to a final position during the succeeding cam cycle accompanied by freeing of the disabling memher for movement to its alarm on position so that the operator is free to sound the alarm at the completion of the second cam cycle, and means for manually restoring said member to its alarm off position.

2. The combination of claim 1 in which said last named means includes a button which projects from said frame when said disabling member is in alarm enabling position so that the button serves as a visual indication that the alarm will sound upon the completion of the next cam cycle.

3. The combination of claim 2 in which said toothed projection contains an additional tooth engageable with the tooth on said pawl for holding said disabling member in alarm off position when said button is depressed before the completion of the second cam cycle sothat the alarm will not again sound prior to the completion of two complete cam cycles.

4. The combination of claim 1 including an alarm control slide mounted on said frame for movement between alarm oif and alarm on positions, said slide when in alarm off position engaging and holding said operator so as to silence said alarm, and a release member operated by movement of said slide to alarm off position for and releasing said alarm disabling member for movement under its bias.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,264,897 5/l9l8 Case 58l7 2,583,794 1/1952 Parks 58l7 3,127,733 4/1964 Robinson 5821J155 RICHARD B. WILKINSON, Primary Examiner L. R. FRANKLIN, Assistant Examiner 

